HMHB's Legislative Activities & News
2009 Legislative Agenda
- Increase funding for the Babies Born Healthy Program. Babies Born Healthy is the only government program
that pays for prenatal care for low income pregnant women who do not qualify for Medicaid and in recent years
the program has consistently run out of funds before the fiscal year ends. Current funding allows the program to
serve approximately 5000 women. Women who are eligible but are not served due to lack of funds usually end up
appearing at a hospital to deliver their baby having had no prenatal care. Since their babies are Medicaid eligible,
Medicaid bears the cost of any disabilities or health conditions that these babies may have. HMHB recommends
an appropriate increase in funding for Babies Born Healthy to address the need in this program because it will save
Medicaid money and Georgia will have healthier babies.
- Enhance Medicaid services for Georgia women by obtaining a federal Family Planning Waiver. As of
September 2008, 26 states have obtained a Medicaid Family Planning Waiver, which enhances services to
Medicaid eligible women by providing interconceptional family planning to mothers for two years following a
Medicaid birth. Currently, post partum Medicaid family planning services are only provided for 60 days. The
Medicaid Family Planning Waiver, which is 90% federal dollars matched with 10% state dollars, has been
successful at lowering birth rates and saving public funds that would have been spent on prenatal and newborn
care.
- Oppose legislation that threatens health insurance benefits such as mammograms, pap smears, and
childhood immunizations. Many of the current state mandates are for services that ensure prevention and early
detection of disease. Bills have been introduced in recent years that would allow health insurance to be sold in
Georgia without covering such services. HMHB continues to oppose such legislation.
- Monitor legislation and policy changes that impact services for Medicaid and PeachCare clients. Providers,
advocates and many legislators continue to be concerned about the impact of the transition in 2006 to Care
Management Organizations (CMOs) for most Medicaid and PeachCare clients. There are concerns about the
impact upon Public Health programs such as Children 1st and Babies Can’t Wait. Additionally, access to specialists
such as pediatric orthopedists, neurologists, and therapy services for children with disabilities has reportedly
become more difficult for many clients. The CMOS also will not reimburse a receiving hospital for care of stable,
but fragile, babies who can be transferred from Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Infants graduating from
the NICU often need hospital nursery care at a less intensive level before being strong enough or large enough to
go home. Moving the infant to a community hospital often places the infant closer to the baby’s family, is less
expensive than the tertiary care NICU facility, and opens a NICU bed for a more critical infant. These NICUs
need the bed space so that other fragile and unstable babies can be brought in for care.
- Protect funding for pediatric vaccines for underinsured children. Proposed budget cuts threaten
funding for the Division of Public Health’s Immunization program that provides a variety of vaccines to
underinsured children and youth. For example, funding for the Rotavirus vaccine for underinsured infants
has been targeted as an item to be cut in the DHR Budget Reduction Plans for FY 2009 and FY 2010.
Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of diarrhea (rotavirus gastroenteritis) and it is the leading
cause of dehydrating diarrhea in infants and young children. Frequently, infants and toddlers who acquire
this virus must be hospitalized for IV therapy. It is extremely infectious and easily spread to other
children, even in a hospital environment. Immunization of high risk infants should be a priority.
